Plastic waste recycling is a complex process and remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges today.
Plastic production has increased from 2 million metric tonnes in 1950 to an estimated 400 million metric tonnes in 2022, and with only 9% of global plastic waste being recycled, we are under more pressure than ever before to adopt sustainable practices and prevent further damage to the environment.
Plastic waste recycling as it stands
Unlike materials like metal or cardboard, plastic waste recycling remains particularly complex due to the diversity of plastic types, and the complexity of recycling processes. Some of the current methods include:
- Mechanical recycling: This involves recovering and reusing materials often downcycled to lower-quality and less-valuable materials.
- Chemical recycling: This process breaks down plastics into raw monomers, or the main components of plastic, allowing high-quality reuse. However, this process requires significant investment.
- Closed-loop recycling: One of the most common forms of domestic recycling, it converts materials like PET from plastic bottles into products of a similar quality.
- Upcycling: Enhances product quality, for example, by turning old tarpaulins into durable rucksacks.
- Composting: A relatively new innovation of the past decade, this method allows biodegradable plastics to be reused by biologically decomposing organic materials.
But despite these methods, a large portion of the UK’s plastic waste is either exported or destroyed rather than reused or repurposed. In 2023, only 44% of the UK’s entire plastic packaging output was recycled, with a large amount exported to nations with less strict regulations ending up in landfills. Regarding domestic waste, in 2022/23, 49% of waste collected by local authorities in England was incinerated, with only 40% recycled.
Growing issues of plastic waste
That said, plastic waste management is a global problem that is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Plastic waste has growing social, economic, and environmental impacts. It is estimated that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic are currently sitting in our oceans, and if we collected the entire world’s plastic waste, we could make up a landfill site the size of a city.
Plastic pollution affects all land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems and is a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, contributing to climate change. Not just this, microplastics are said to be found in every single ecosystem on the planet, whether in oceans, water sources, food, or even human and animal tissue, causing harm, disease, and potentially even cancer.
Microplastics: a growing concern
Microplastics, a terrifying type of plastic waste that has gained recognition over the years, are tiny particles less than 5 mm in diameter and come from mainly single-use plastics, cosmetics, microfibres, and household cleaning products. They are often considered more dangerous than regular plastic waste due to their ability to travel and spread more quickly, their toxicity, and their environmental interaction. As it currently stands, an estimated 5.25 trillion plastic particles are floating on the surface of the planet’s oceans.
Unfortunately, when it comes to plastic waste, there exist only three options: to incinerate it, send it to landfill, or recycle it. Many of the innovations within the plastics recycling industry stem from scientific progress in the creation and understanding of chemical recycling and the ways to break down chemicals into raw materials. We have seen technological advancements and developed more efficient plastic waste management solutions in recent years.
Innovations in plastic waste recycling
AI and sorting
AI technologies are being implemented to sort through plastic waste and identify recyclable plastics or, in Tomra’s case, high-quality secondary raw materials.
Bioconversion
Insect bio-conversion is an incredible method to reduce organic contaminants from mixed plastic waste. MyGroup uses Black Soldier Fly larvae to turn organic waste into proteins and organic fertilisers, whereas insect farming is more commonly used to revalorise or add value and profit to the plastic being produced.
Closing the loop on non-recyclable plastics
A primary objective of many innovators in the field has been around “closing the loop” or being able to recycle many non-recyclable plastics, such as polypropylene, into new products. Using the latest technologies, companies like PureCycle have found a way to colour, odour, and impurities from polypropylene plastic waste into like-new plastic, which hasn’t been done before.
Enzymatic recycling
This method uses enzymes to break down PET plastics, which are found in plastic bottles. It offers an eco-friendly alternative to chemical methods.
Plastic-to-hydrogen conversion
Plastic-to-hydrogen converts plastic waste into hydrogen fuel, reducing toxic emissions and providing a renewable energy source.
Challenges and the way forward
Despite these initiatives, challenges remain present.
Education and awareness
Consumers often send the wrong types of plastics for recycling, undermining recycling efforts. Solutions like AI sorting and educational campaigns can streamline recycling by reducing contamination and inefficiencies.
Reliance on exports
Globally, there is still a significant reliance on exporting plastic waste. Innovations in enzymatic recycling and plastic-to-hydrogen conversion provide viable local pathways to manage plastic waste.
Policy and investment
While government initiatives like the Plastic Packaging Tax legislation and bans on single-use plastics are effective and a step in the right direction, more significant investment in recycling facilities and circular economy practices like buy-back schemes are needed.
Getting to the heart of the issue
Ultimately, the industry must collaborate with producers to design products that prioritise reuse and upcycling, using materials that can be easily separated and recycled. A significant challenge lies in dealing with products composed of multiple material types, such as multi-layered plastics and composite materials, which are often difficult to recycle.
Addressing these challenges requires:
- Proactive design strategies from producers to simplify material composition
- Large-scale investments in recycling infrastructure
These complex products often end up in landfills or incinerators without such advancements. Addressing this challenge demands technological innovation and proactive design strategies from producers to simplify material composition and enhance recyclability, ensuring a sustainable life cycle for plastic products.
Finally, a key element in overcoming these challenges is concentrating on collaboration across different sectors. Governments, production industries, and consumers all play vital roles in the future of plastic waste management. Governments can implement policies to encourage companies to incorporate recyclability in their product design, and industries can invest in new technologies and infrastructure to improve recycling processes. Consumers can contribute by purchasing sustainable sources, properly disposing of their waste, and supporting brands that emphasise sustainability.
By combining these efforts and solutions and focusing on collaboration across industries, we can take significant strides toward combating plastic waste, improving plastic waste management, and creating a more sustainable future for us and our planet.
